Allegheny County

Plum police warn of mail thefts outside of homes, businesses

PLUM, Pa. — Police in Plum Borough are warning residents about “numerous incidents” of mail being stolen from residential and business mailboxes.

According to investigators, a vehicle of interest was identified on Monday. The driver of a white minivan, which may have a dark-colored passenger side door, was spotted stealing mail.

Channel 11 learned that the suspected thief hit at least one mailbox off Center New Texas Road. The victim, an elderly man, told Channel 11 that he had a check stolen.

According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, more than $299,000 in mail theft complaints were recorded nationwide between March 2020 through February 2021.

The AARP has published the following tips to avoid falling victim:

-Deposit mail in collection boxes as close to the indicated pick up time as possible — or bring it inside the post office for mailing.

-If you choose to leave outgoing mail in your mailbox, don’t put up the flag.

-Try not to leave incoming or outgoing mail sitting in your mailbox for an extended time, particularly overnight.

-Sign up for Informed Delivery. With this free service, the USPS will email you images of everything that will be delivered to your home that day, so you’ll know what to expect (and what’s missing when the carrier drops off your mail). Some 44 million postal customers have signed up. “It’s an added security benefit that many people have not heard about,” says Donahue.

-Use the USPS Hold Mail service (you can sign up online) if you’ll be away from home, or have a neighbor collect your mail.

-Keep an eye on your bank accounts for potential fraud, and report suspicious activity as soon as possible.

-When making out a check, write out the amount — “One hundred and twenty dollars and ten cents,” for example — so the words fill out the line. This makes it more difficult for someone to alter it without washing off the ink. Also make sure the numeric amount fills the box on the far-right side of the check.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service is assisting Plum police in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact 911 or the Plum Borough Police Department non-emergency telephone number: 412-473-3056.

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